Policy Archives - Ascend Magazine Website

Insight, International, Policy, Voices

August 16, 2023

‘The people piece’: The key role of people in regulatory transformation

Regulatory transformation is not only about changing an organization's technology and processes; it is also about empowering and engaging its people throughout the journey. In this article, Rick Borges looks at the key role that people play as enablers of regulatory transformation.

Finance, Regulation, Regulatory Transformation, U.K.

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Policy

Regulatory policies are ever-evolving and differ widely from coast to coast and around the world. We keep a pulse on the active world of regulation and licensing.

Finance, Regulation, Regulatory Transformation, U.K.

August 16, 2023

‘The people piece’: The key role of people in regulatory transformation

Regulatory transformation is not only about changing an organization's technology and processes; it is also about empowering and engaging its people throughout the journey. In this article, Rick Borges looks at the key role that people play as enablers of regulatory transformation.

Regulation, Regulatory sandboxes

August 9, 2023

Playing in the sandbox: Old regulators are learning new tricks

Regulators are increasingly turning to an innovative policy tool called a “sandbox” to address various challenges. In this article, Contributor Will Morrison explores the origins of regulatory sandboxes and how they work.

Consumer Protection, Cybersecurity, Finance, Operational Resilience, Regulation, U.K.

July 12, 2023

Regulators tackle operational resilience in the UK

To mitigate the risk of major operational failures affecting the day-to-day lives of millions of financial services customers, U.K. regulators issued new rules on operational resilience that came into force in March 2022. In this article, Rick Borges looks at the requirements and the impact they will have on firms’ cyber resilience and use of third-party providers.

Interstate compacts, Multi-jurisdictional Licensing, Professional Licensing, Regulation

July 6, 2023

An exhaustive breakdown of interstate compacts in the U.S.

Just how many interstate licensing agreements are active in the U.S.? And in which professions are regulators looking to further promote license mobility? In our latest Ascend article, we take an in-depth look at the country's largest active and pending multistate licensing agreements.

Consumer Protection, Finance, Regulation, U.K.

June 14, 2023

How the U.K.’s new Consumer Duty will change how firms operate

On July 31, the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will begin enforcing a new Consumer Duty that will set higher and clearer standards of consumer protection across financial services and require firms to put their customers’ needs first. In this article, Ascend Contributor Rick Borges explores the impact this change will have on how firms operate.

AI, Harry Cayton

May 25, 2023

Cayton asks ChatGPT: Is AI a good thing or a bad thing?

Is AI a good thing or a bad thing? It's a question that's currently top of mind for lawmakers and citizens alike as the development of increasingly powerful AI technologies continues at a rapid pace. As Harry Cayton recently contemplated this question, he decided to ask ChatGPT to see what it had to say.

CLEAR, Dublin, ICPOR, Professional Licensing

May 15, 2023

Dispatches from Dublin: How knowledge, innovation, and creativity empower regulators

CLEAR’s recent International Congress in Dublin, Ireland took an in-depth look at common challenges dominating the world of modern regulation. Paul Leavoy shares his insights from the conference, which explored issues like improving continuing education efforts, how marketing tactics can bolster regulatory efforts, and why regulators should start thinking of regulation as a verb instead of a noun.

Canada, Elections, Governance, Law, Ontario, Professional Licensing

May 3, 2023

When are governance elections threats to self-regulating professions?

Governance elections are a vital dimension to healthy self-regulation. But as Ken Osborne explores in this article, they are increasingly under threat from low voter participation and politicization that can cause tension between representative and regulatory functions.

Cryptocurrency, Digital Government, Finance, Regulation

April 28, 2023

A timeline of cryptocurrency regulation in America (Part 4): The Crypto Collapse

Our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America concludes with a look at the 2022 crypto collapse. One after another, several major crypto firms filed for bankruptcy, causing Bitcoin and Ether to plunge in value. But even as many crypto founders faced criminal charges, the regulatory environment was still characterized by confusion and contradictions.

Harry Cayton, Internationally educated, labor shortages, Professional Licensing, Regulation

April 19, 2023

Recruitment of international professionals should engender regulatory cooperation, not competition: Cayton

Facing dire labor shortages in various health professions, legislatures are encouraging, cajoling, or ordering regulators to speed up and simplify the licensing of international professionals. But as Harry Cayton explores in his latest Voices column, there are often unintended consequences to this migration.

British Columbia, Canada, Law, Licensing Reform, Paralegals, Professional Licensing

April 5, 2023

British Columbia inches towards a single legal regulator for lawyers, notaries, and paralegals

Regulatory reform of the legal services sector appears underway in British Columbia as the province considers moving the regulation of lawyers, paralegals, and notaries under a single regulator. Ken Osborne explores the rationale for reform as well as the potential benefits of the single statute, single regulator model.

Cryptocurrency, Digital Government, Finance, Regulation

March 30, 2023

A timeline of cryptocurrency regulation in America (Part 3): The 2021 Bull Run

Part 3 of our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America looks at the 2021 Bull Run. During this period, which culminated in Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $68,000, disagreements continued over the classification of Ether as a commodity and calls for regulatory clarity grew louder.

Australia, Centralization, CLEAR, Colorado, Health Care, Interstate compacts, Martin Fletcher, U.K., U.S.

March 23, 2023

Regulatory centralization in health care and beyond: What can we learn from the Australian model?

Ahpra offers a rare example of transformational change in the world of regulation. Over a decade after its founding, what has the agency taught us about what centralized health care regulation in practice can look like and how it can be implemented? What does centralization look like elsewhere in the world? We investigate this and more in our latest insight piece.

Harry Cayton, Regulators

March 9, 2023

How boards, councils, and committees unwittingly employ the Simple Sabotage Field Manual

Written during World War II, the Simple Sabotage Field Manual instructed civilians living in Nazi-occupied territories on how to disrupt organizations by purposefully sabotaging productivity and progress. In this Voices column, Harry Cayton explores the striking similarities between the manual's advice on how to sabotage meetings and behaviors commonly seen at regulatory board and committee meetings today.

Cryptocurrency, Digital Government, Finance, Regulation

February 24, 2023

A timeline of cryptocurrency regulation in America (Part 2): Enter Ethereum

Part 1 of our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America looked at the burgeoning years of cryptocurrency – mainly Bitcoin – and the attempt to regulate it through criminal enforcement actions. In Part 2, GovTech and regulation lawyer Sean Gellis covers the birth of the Ethereum network, the 2017 Bull Run, and the long crypto winter that followed it.

Compliance, Construction, Disaster preparedness, Enforcement, Regulation, Turkey

February 16, 2023

Turkey earthquake reminds us regulation is as effective as compliance and enforcement

As the magnitude of the devastation wrought by the recent earthquake in Turkey becomes clearer, it’s fair to wonder how something like this could have happened. After a similar earthquake 24 years ago, Turkey implemented stringent building standard regulations. So why did the recent earthquake cause such widespread destruction? Paul Leavoy explores.

SPECIAL REPORT

Updated: A breakdown of all interstate licensing compacts

The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news, professional communities clash over plans to publicly fund nurse practitioner clinics in Alberta, California considers an alternative pathway to licensure for lawyers, and much more.

Insight Process

Goals-based Regulation

A look at common approaches to regulation

While there are a wide range of approaches to regulation, broadly speaking, three common approaches prevail – rules-based (prescriptive), goals-based, and management-based regulation. In this article, we break down these three common approaches and take a look at their benefits and challenges.

Goals-based Regulation Management-based Regulation Regulation Rules-based Regulation

Insight News

Criminal Justice Reform

Year in Review: Ascend Magazine’s top 10 themes of 2023

What common threads ran through the biggest stories in regulation over the course of 2023? What were the year’s biggest, most impactful developments? We answer this and more in our Year in Review.

Criminal Justice Reform Cryptocurrency Digital Government Internationally educated Interstate compacts labor shortages License Portability Licensing Reform military Regulation U.S.

Podcast

David Benton

NCSBN’s David Benton reflects on leadership, retirement, and the future of nursing regulation: Ascend Radio

In this episode of Ascend Radio, David Benton, CEO of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), reflects on his impending retirement, his eight years of work with the organization, its value to the field of nursing in the U.S. and abroad, and much more.

David Benton Featured Health Care Licensing Reform NCSBN Nursing Professional Licensing

In Brief Regulatory News

AI

California establishes licensing rules for crypto companies, kiosks: Weekly regulatory news

The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation that will create licensing rules for cryptocurrency companies and kiosks, the World Health Organization publishes guidelines on regulating AI to improve quality of service in health care, and more.

AI Alberta Art Therapy California Cryptocurrency Digital Government EMS Health Care Licensing Reform Maryland Nursing Oklahoma Pennsylvania Professional Licensing Regulation Sexual misconduct Yukon

In Brief Regulatory News

Alaska

Virginia approves universal license recognition: Weekly regulatory news

The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news, Virginia approves universal licensure legislation, Alaska makes it easier for licensed professionals who move to the state to get to work faster, France passes stringent licensing rules for crypto firms, and much more.

Alaska Cryptocurrency DEI Education France Health Care Regulation labor shortages Licensing Reform Professional Licensing Regulation Tennessee Texas U.S. Universal Licensure Virginia

Insight Voices

Artificial intelligence

Building my regulator of tomorrow with LEGO® bricks

What should the regulator of tomorrow look like? While there may be no definitive vision, contributor Rick Borges gets creative with answering this important question, drawing inspiration from a favorite toy to ‘build’ a model of an effective future regulator.

Artificial intelligence Compassionate regulation Data analytics Regulation Regulators Rick Borges risk-based regulation

Insight International Policy Voices

COVID-19

‘New normal’ asks us to question original regulatory requirements

The global pandemic has introduced a number of changes to regulation and licensing around the world. But are they permanent? And if regulatory requirements were loosened, were they even necessary in the first place? In this Voices column, leading regulatory authority Harry Cayton explores the pandemic’s impact on regulation.

COVID-19 pandemic Professional Licensing Regulation

Insight International Policy Voices

Finance

‘The people piece’: The key role of people in regulatory transformation

Regulatory transformation is not only about changing an organization’s technology and processes; it is also about empowering and engaging its people throughout the journey. In this article, Rick Borges looks at the key role that people play as enablers of regulatory transformation.

Finance Regulation Regulatory Transformation U.K.

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